Supporters of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega have fired up protests against opposition efforts to block the leftist's re-election next year, worrying business leaders and the United States, according to Reuters. Opposition lawmakers accuse Ortega of turning Nicaragua into a Cuban-style dictatorship and say they have enough support in Congress to overturn a 2009 ruling in the Supreme Court -- where Ortega's Sandinistas have control -- that lifted a ban on the former guerrilla leader and Cold War-era U.S. foe from being able to run again for president. Their stance triggered Ortega's supporters to take to the streets last week, reigniting last year's sporadic protests. In the latest demonstrations, some attacked the National Assembly building, smashing windows. Protesters burned two cars belonging to opposition members and threw rocks and small firecracker bombs at a hotel where lawmakers were meeting, wounding a state TV reporter. Opposition leader and lawmaker Eduardo Montealegre called on both sides to step back from the violence. "I think we have to talk for the good of the country. The violence is unacceptable," he said. An ally of Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chavez said Ortega would have been barred by the constitution from serving two consecutive five-year terms but he petitioned the Supreme Court to lift the ban. Disagreement over whether the Supreme Court or Congress has the final say on lifting the ban on a second term could blow up into a institutional crisis, analysts warn. The Washington-based Organization of American States said it was "deeply concerned" about the protests and the United States called on the government to bring them under control. "We urge the government of Nicaragua to take steps to end mob violence, and we urge the police to ensure the safety and security of all Nicaraguans," said U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. The State Department has warned that Ortega's re-election push could threaten democracy in the Central American country. Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was toppled in a coup last year after the Supreme Court and Congress there accused him of pushing for re-election, which is barred by the constitution.
